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She's a Top Voice who's been working remotely since 2012

She's a Top Voice who's been working remotely since 2012

Listen now (39 mins)

Milly Tamati
September 26, 2025

Listen now:
Spotify // Apple

Nola is a LinkedIn Top Voice, remote work strategist, and future of work consultant who has been pioneering flexible work arrangements since 2011. Previously, she spent over a decade in corporate roles before transitioning to consulting after a life-changing car accident in 2018. Her work at various organisations ranged from financial systems management to workforce restructuring to leadership development. Simon was also a pilot program participant for early remote work initiatives, becoming the only fully remote employee at her final corporate position.

What you'll learn:

How to advocate effectively for flexible work arrangements by getting clear on specific needs and organizational obstacles
Why trust is the foundation of successful remote work policies and how it operates reciprocally between employers and employees
How to tell professional stories where location isn't the central element of success
Strategic approaches to building flexible work policies that cascade from CEO beliefs through entire organizations
Why surveillance and micromanagement create compliance issues rather than solving productivity concerns
How identity shifts throughout careers and the importance of allowing people to pivot and evolve
Methods for crafting portfolio careers that blend consulting, speaking, and thought leadership
Why ageing represents opportunity rather than limitation in modern work structures

Some takeaways:

Effective flexibility advocacy requires precision and preparation: Define exactly what flexibility you need—shifted hours, location independence, or schedule autonomy. Research organisational policies and trust culture, then prepare a concrete plan for potential rejection, whether switching teams or companies entirely.

Trust shifts form rather than disappearing: Organisations using return-to-office mandates as stealth layoffs damage trust among all employees, not just those leaving, ultimately harming employer brand and future recruitment efforts.

Surveillance creates the problems it aims to solve: Mouse trackers and excessive monitoring generate "deviant compliance" behaviours, spawning a billion-dollar surveillance-avoidance industry that proves micromanagement fundamentally misunderstands human motivation.

Strategic flexibility requires comprehensive organisational integration: Successful policies aren't add-ons but must cascade from CEO commitment through leadership, management, communications, tax implications, compliance, and security considerations.

Career narratives must transcend location-based success: Traditional mentoring centres on geographic advantages that don't translate for rural workers or long commuters. Future success requires reframing achievements around outcomes rather than physical presence.

Identity evolution demands adaptability and acceptance: Career pivots require both personal flexibility and the skill of allowing others to evolve without resistance—crucial for generalists whose capabilities transcend traditional job categories.

Portfolio careers need integrated expertise: Consulting success requires understanding organisational psychology, leadership development, compliance, and change management. Offer transformation facilitation rather than single-point policy advice.

Age represents opportunity, not decline: Retirement at 65-67 wastes decades of potential contribution. Mental engagement prevents cognitive decline while offering organisations deep experience younger workers lack.

Future success demands story-crafting over credentials: The most valuable professionals weave diverse experiences into coherent narratives that help others envision possibilities. Lived experience stories will out-value academic expertise as flexible work expands.

Milly Tamati

Founder, Generalist World

📍I live, work and build from the Scottish highlands

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She's a Top Voice who's been working remotely since 2012

Listen now (39 mins)

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Milly Tamati

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